How to Use Your TFSA to Earn $4,600 Per Year in Tax-Free Income

Are you ready for major income? Even in just one year, you could earn $4,600 in your TFSA. No, really!

Amy Legate-Wolfe

Author Bio Amy became interested in investing in 2018 after having her first daughter. After receiving a masters degree in journalism from Western University, she became frustrated that the finance industry remained a confusing place for Canadians like her: new parents, millennials, and other young people who needed to understand their finances. Now, Amy focuses on tech companies and renewable energy for growth opportunities, coupling that with long-term investing strategies and equities. She also provides investors with a daily newsletter, Canada Stock Digest, for daily market updates. Her work can also be found at Canada's National Observer, where she writes on the business side of climate action. Before joining Motley Fool Canada, Amy wrote for major news organizations including HuffPost, CTVNews.ca, and CBC. When she’s not researching investing strategies, Amy’s time is pretty much monopolized by her two wild daughters, but in what little spare time she has she loves to do yoga, go on walks with her dog, and travel with her husband. Social Media Follow Amy on LinkedIn and Canada Stock Digest. Favorite Investment Quote “October: This is one of the particularly dangerous months to speculate in stocks. The others are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, December, August and February.” – Mark Twain

Published September 29, 2024 9:00 am EDT

A Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) allows Canadians to earn passive income completely tax-free. You can invest up to another $7,000 in 2024, and your contributions can grow over time without any tax on capital gains, dividends, or interest. Over the years, even modest investments can grow into a significant nest egg thanks to the tax-free nature of the TFSA, thus making it an excellent tool for building wealth and generating passive income. So, how could you turn that into $4,600?

Blocks conceptualizing Canada's Tax Free Savings Account — Source: Getty Images

Why the TFSA

The TFSA stands out because it allows your investments to grow without worrying about taxes eating into your returns. Whether you’re earning dividends from stocks or seeing capital appreciation in exchange-traded funds (ETF), all your gains remain tax-free within the account. This feature makes it an incredibly powerful tool for building passive income. Unlike Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs), there are no penalties for withdrawing funds, thus making the TFSA a more flexible option for both short-term needs and long-term growth.

To get started creating passive income, one of the smartest strategies is to automate your contributions. Many banks and investment platforms allow you to set up automatic transfers into your TFSA. This ensures you’re consistently investing, and it can help your savings grow over time. Reinvestment is another key to maximizing growth. By reinvesting dividends and earnings, you create a snowball effect where your returns start generating even more returns.

Reinvesting dividends, in particular, allows your investments to compound. Over time, this compounding effect can significantly boost your passive income. As your portfolio grows, the dividends become larger, and by reinvesting them, you accelerate the growth of your overall portfolio. The earlier you start and the more consistent you are, the faster your passive income can grow, making this an ideal long-term strategy for Canadians seeking financial freedom.

Consider this safe growth stock

Brookfield Renewable Partners (TSX: BEP.UN) on the TSX is an excellent investment for Canadians looking to generate passive income. With a forward annual dividend yield of 5.42% at writing and strong earnings momentum, BEP.UN provides both growth and income potential. Its quarterly revenue growth of 23% year over year highlights its robust earnings momentum. As one analyst noted, “BEP.UN’s focus on renewable energy positions it well for long-term, sustainable growth.”

BEP.UN’s beta of 0.87 further indicates lower volatility compared to the market, making it a relatively stable investment. Although its profitability metrics show some challenges, the company’s long-term focus on renewable energy gives it strong future growth prospects. With an enterprise value of $48.14 billion and a payout ratio of 649.02%, BEP.UN is well-positioned for dividend investors who seek stability and steady income from the renewable energy sector. Its high dividend yield makes it a great option for those looking to build tax-free passive income in their TFSA.

To create that $5,000, let’s assume BEP stock climbs by its compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7%. Add in dividends, and here is what that might look like.

COMPANY	RECENT PRICE	NUMBER OF SHARES	DIVIDEND	TOTAL PAYOUT	FREQUENCY	PORTFOLIO TOTAL
BEP – now	$36	1,041	$1.92	$1,998.72	quarterly	$37,476
BEP – 7%	$38.50	1,041	$1.92	$1,998.72	quarterly	$40,078.50

Bottom line

As you can see, by investing in 1,041 shares, you could earn $2,602.50 in returns and $1,998.72 in dividends. That’s a total of $4,601.22! In a nutshell, using a TFSA to invest in options like BEP is a smart way for Canadians to build tax-free passive income. With its high dividend yield and strong momentum in the renewable energy sector, BEP.UN offers both stability and growth. Combine that with automated contributions and reinvestment strategies, and you’ve got a recipe for turning your investments into a powerful, long-term income generator without worrying about taxes eating into your returns!